JUNIORS HEAD BACK TO FINLAND 

CANADA’S U21 REPS RETURN TO FINLAND FOR A-GROUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Canadian curling fans might experience a bit of déjà vu next week as the reigning U21 Canadian champions head to Lohja, Finland, for the 2024 World Junior Championships. 

If that sounds familiar, it’s because the same group was competing in the same place at the World Junior B Championship just two months ago. 

Skips Johnson Tao and Myla Plett – both based in Edmonton – will return to Finland as skips of Team Canada, this time looking for the main prize. Tao’s Alberta champions took home the gold medal in the B Group in December. Plett and Co. had to settle for silver. 

Both results, however, were good enough for the Canadians to advance to the top tier of the World Junior competition.  

“We’re really excited to go back to Finland,” said Plett. “Already having attended the World-B Championships I believe is a huge benefit for our team.” 

Plett, along with Alyssa Nedohin, Chloe Fediuk, and Allie Iskiw won the right to represent Canada at the world level by winning the 2023 New Holland Canadian U21 Championship last April in Rouyn-Noranda, Que. As the previous Team Canada skipped by Emily Deschenes finished with a 2-7 record at the Worlds, Plett – like Deschenes last year – had to first fight through the B-Group to reach next week’s championship. The top four teams in that championship advanced to the A-Group tournament. 

“We know what the facility looks like and we are able to be more comfortable with the environment,” said Plett. “It’s a very well-organized facility making it a really enjoyable experience.” 

Plett’s front-end of Fediuk and Iskiw are fresh off appearances at the Youth Olympic Games in South Korea and will look to refocus on a third world event in less than three months. 

Tao, and teammates Jaedon Neuert, Zach Davies and Adam Naugler had the same road through the B-Group and finished one win better. While Plett took the silver, the junior men won gold, and will look to repeat that next week. 

Ben Morin, who won the national championship in Rouyn-Noranda, aged out of the competition and was replaced by Davis. Morin stayed on as an assistant coach to help out on the bench with head coach Skip Wilson and team leader Rob Krepps. 

The women’s team is coached by Blair Lenton, with assistance from David Nedohin and team leader Lori Olson-Johns.  

The Canadian men will open their tournament vs. Scotland’s Orrin Carson, while the women will start with a two-game day vs. Norway and Sweden, respectively. 

“I am obviously a bit nervous but they are definitely good nerves,” said Plett. “I’m super pumped to have the opportunity to wear the maple leaf with some amazing ladies by side.” 

Games will begin at 9 a.m. local time (2 a.m. Eastern) on Saturday. That will mean a late night for Edmonton-based fans who will tune in Friday night/Saturday morning at midnight. 

Some games will be streamed live on WorldCurlingTV on Youtube, while live scores can be found here: https://livescores.worldcurling.org/wjcc/aspnet/current?EventID=1